And Random.org chose a second place too! I will read the first 5 pages of....

Kimberly Sabatini!!!
(What are the odds, huh, sistah? <3)

And you guys, since I think this was a success and there are still many who want me to beta read the first 10 pages of their mss, I'll do this JUST for My Followers Contest next month, too! So stay tuned.<3Monica

Monday, June 20, 2011

As you guys know, sometimes I like to beta read and help other writers with their mss. And right now I have a little time.
SO.
I'll beta read the first 10 pages (double spaced, 12 pt. font) of one of you. To participate, just leave a comment below and your email addy (in case you win). You DON'T need to tweet, blog, or spread the word, since I'm doing this JUST FOR MY FOLLOWERS, because I <3 you, guys.
It doesn't matter if you are agented, or unagented. I mean, we agented writes sometimes need a little feedback, too, right?
I'll choose the winner randomly on Wednesday, and see you around!
<3
Monica

Monday, June 13, 2011

So I just finished reading a published book, and no, I won’t say which one was it, and I found a GREAT amount of m dashes (—) and ellipses... especially in dialogue, through the whole novel.

So it kind of read like this (I'm exaggerating, of course):

“What do you mean? Could it actually—”

“I mean—yeah, it could happen.”

“Oh right. So I think—I think that… wait. Did you see that?”

I had the impression everyone was stammering while they spoke. And seriously? Sometimes I didn’t even have a clue about what the characters were going to say because the writer interrupted the dialogue plenty of times. And the flow—the flow—was… was terrible for me.

So I guess that I’m just saying that I prefer when the dialogue “sings” till the end (most of the time), and we aren’t left wondering what the hell the character was going to say.

Okay, so maybe that was just a pet peeve of mine. What do you think?

PS: A lovely thirteen-year-old writer interviewed me for her blog--if you want to check it out, go here. ;)

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Today I bring you, guys, and interview with my Twitter friend, Cyndi Tefft, whose ebook, BETWEEN, has been released today! And she'll give away one digital copy of her YA novel to one of you! To participate, just leave a comment and an email to contact you in case you win.

Cyndi Tefft lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is overcast and rainy, much like the Highlands of Scotland. So she was right at home when she got the chance to visit Eilean Donan Castle in May 2010.

A self-proclaimed Scot freak, she loved every bit about the trip to Scotland: the people, the kilts, the accents, the fish & chips, the haggis...well okay, not the haggis.

1- Can you tell us a little bit about your book?

Between is a young adult paranormal romance about a modern American girl who dies in a car accident and the 18th century Scottish Highlander who comes to take her to heaven. Here’s the blurb from the cover:

It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.
After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.
Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.

Sounds fun!

2- How did you get the idea for this book?

I was watching a video with Stephenie Meyer where she was talking about being a stay-at-home mom who had a dream and wrote it down. She made it sound simple and I wondered if I might be able to do the same. Having been through it now, I can tell you that writing a book is not simple, but it is something that you can do if you set your mind to it.

About that same time, I was reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and completely fell in love with Scotland and the history of the nation. I wanted a Scottish hero of my own, so I wrote one!

3- Are you nervous/excited that your book is out now and that everyone can read it? How does it feel?

I vacillate between excited and anxious. I know there will be people who don’t really care for it (there always are), but I am hopeful that many people will really like the book. So I focus on that positive thought to drown out the negative voices in my head!

4- I have some friends who want to self publish. What would you tell them about your experience that will help them decide which path to take?

I originally wrote the novel just to see if I could, not to get it published and certainly not with any visions of money or fame. It wasn't until I was most of the way finished with the first draft and talking with friends about the book that the question of publication came up. I knew nothing about it and spent over a year researching, querying agents, making revisions, etc... I got caught up in the rollercoaster that is publication and it sucked the joy out of writing. So I decided that self-publication was the better route for me. It allows me to get the book out to readers who enjoy this type of story, while preserving the joy and creativity of writing for me.

Going the independent route is not for the faint of heart, though. There is no one to come along side you and tell you how it should be done. On the other hand, indie authors have control over covers, fonts, marketing and such that traditionally published authors do not.One is not better than the other (in my opinion), and I think that sentiment will become more widespread as time goes on.

Thanks for your insight!

5- Can you tell us something fun about yourself that we probably don’t know?

I love to play ping pong (and some might even say I’m not half bad)! At my last job, I played every day at lunch with people who routinely wiped the floor with me. That just spurred me on, since I have an over-developed competitive spirit. This video is one of my favorites!